"One should either write ruthlessly what one believes to be the truth, or else shut up." — Arthur Koestler

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz said Wednesday the media have failed to do their job by demanding answers in the Internal Revenue Service scandal.

“The media should hold the administration accountable,” Cruz said. Instead of acting as watchdogs, however, the media are acting as a “palace guard” protecting President Obama from scrutiny, the conservative Republican told bloggers during a conference call.

Cruz’s comments came after a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing in which he questioned Attorney General Eric Holder about the Justice Department’s investigation of the IRS scandal. In wake of reports that the investigation is being led by Barbara Bosserman, who donated thousands of dollars to Obama’s presidential campaigns, Cruz asked Holder: “I would call upon you to carry out the tradition of independence that attorneys general have honored that office with for centuries and protect the integrity of the Department of Justice, given the political sensitivities, given the fact that individual citizens believe they are being persecuted by the Department of Justice for partisan reasons. It would further Justice and further the integrity of the Department of Justice for you to appoint a special prosecutor with a meaningful degree of independence to investigate and find out what happened, and I would suggest that any special prosecutor should have integrity beyond reproach, and not be a major Obama donor.”

Holder answered: “I don’t think that there is a basis for us to conclude on the information as it presently exists that there is any reason for the appointment of the independent counsel. … The notion that somehow this has caused a loss of faith in this Justice Department is inconsistent with the facts.”

Holder said: “I don’t have any basis to believe that the people who engaged in this investigation are doing so in a way other than investigations are normally done. That is by looking at the facts, applying the law to those facts, and reaching the appropriate conclusion. I don’t have any basis to believe anything other than that is occurring.”

Sen. Cruz responded, “I would say a lot of American citizens have a basis to believe it, given 282 days have passed and no on has been indicted, 280 days have passed and many, if not all, of the victims have not even been interviewed. 280 days have passed and apparently the anger and outrage that both the President and you expressed has utterly disappeared. Indeed, in last night’s State of the Union address the President did not so much as mention the word ‘IRS.’ So the anger and outrage sees very little manifestation in actual action.”

Speaking to bloggers after Wednesday’s hearing, Cruz said “Holder accepted no accountability,” and said the Justice Department “has done absolutely nothing” in its investigation of the IRS scandal, which Cruz described as “abuse of power and lawlessness.”

UPDATE: In related news, on Jan. 14, House Oversight Committee Chairman Rep. Darrell Issa (R-California) and Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) sent a letter to Labor Secretary Tom Perez, who in his previous job as an assistant attorney general was Barbara Bosserman’s boss at the Justice Department until July 2013.

It was seven years after his high school days with Obama, so while obviously real it is (I suspect) not significant or connected to Obama.

jakee308

Either the House CAN’T do anything or the House WON’T do anything. Either way the result is the same.

While his Partner in Crime, Obama, destroys the Nation financially and overseas, Holder has been destroying the Justice system in the Nation.

Under no other Attorney General have so many been ignored or excused for their crime. No one has been held accountable except those of a certain political ideology and no criminals actions have been taken against any nationally known suspect.

He has lied repeatedly to House Investigations. He has made his incompetence and disrespect for the Law and the Justice system and Department visible for all to see.

Yet he remains in his position.

This isn’t just a failure by the House, it’s a failure my the Nation to put this criminal on trial and remove him from power.

We have only ourselves to blame for the results.

Lemuel Vargas

The reason why the Benghazi affair will go nowhere is that the head of the DOJ, and thus the Atty. Gen. is Eric Holder, an Obama sycophant.

It’s worth a shot, but would only work if the GOP Leadership has reversal surgery on it’s Spinal Bypass operation.

http://wizbangblog.com/ Adjoran

Just so, all criminal referrals out of Congress go to DOJ. But Holder’s already been held in contempt with no consequences, so why would he act?

http://boogieforward.us/ K-Bob

Thanks for reminding me to tell you that your Steyn Article got me up to speed on that subject. I shall be paying more attention there.

F.N.R.O.

http://wizbangblog.com/ Adjoran

You mean a failure to impeach Holder?

http://wizbangblog.com/ Adjoran

So we cancel Obama’s unconstitutional acts by acting unconstitutionally ourselves? And what then, assume the courts agree with us in the duel of abuse of powers?

The House has no authority to levy fines on the President or his agents. Congress can reverse any of his actions by passing legislation and overriding vetoes, which won’t happen with this many Democrats in Congress. Elections matter.

PLUS Obama will issue blanket pardons to himself and anyone in his Administration when he leaves office, I would bet on it. And that is a clear and inviolate power of the President.

http://wizbangblog.com/ Adjoran

Maybe I’m slow today, but someone needs to explain to me specifically just how this idea might succeed.

Obama ignores federal laws and the Constitution, but a Resolution from the House alone is going to suddenly bring him to heel?

http://wizbangblog.com/ Adjoran

I salute Senator Cruz for noticing the media is covering for Obama. The rest of the sentient universe understood that by late 2007 or early 2008, but he went to Harvard so he must be really smart like Obama.

Under our system, the House can only find uncooperative witnesses in contempt but that, like any other criminal case, must be referred to Justice for prosecution. (There is a House Jail where a witness could be held in contempt while the House remains in session, but that hasn’t been used in a very long time, if ever).

Zohydro

Isn’t the “House Jail” really just an empty crypt (meant for George Washington)?